Heater



March 6, 1945. E. EssoN 2,370,644

HEATER Filed March 19, 1942 l 2 Sheets-Shet 2 32 37 33 o 27 l gaga 4s wwe@ ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 6, 1945 HEATER Edwin Esson, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Ilocke Stove Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application March 19, '1942,vv Serial No. 435,259 v Claims;

This invention-relates to a heater designed for A burning solid fuels and which consists of a casing-provided with a. fuel magazine equipped with fiues for receiving gases evolved from combustion of the fuel, the gases being consumed inthe fiues along with smoke particles to provide a very high combustion efciency.

Such magazines have been formed of opposed refractory slabs extending upwardly from the grate and spaced inwardly from the casing to define thei'lues along the entire height thereof,

the refractory slabs being spaced apart and retained in position by refractory liners covering that portion of the casing intermediate the refractory slabs. Consequently iiames resulting from the burning gases within the flues play directly upon metal surfaces and produce excessively hot spots throughout the height of the ilues while the portions of the casing-protected by the intermediate refractories remain much cooler with the result that the heater is of relatively short life. Regardless of this fact, such heaters have been popular for the reason that they provide for a sizeable charge of solid fuel, particularly of the less eiipensive grade so that the heaters operate at low cost over long periods with a single fuel charge.

Itis, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a heater of this character constructed for effecting substantially uniform heat distribution over the entire area of the casing, thereby avoiding hot spots at the fiues and equalizing temperature of the metal to prolong life thereof and permit the exterior to be porcelained or otherwise finished to improve the appearance thereof.

the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a heater embodying the .features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3$ of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a an enlarged perspective view of one of the refractories which form the gas ilues.

. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through a rectangular type heater embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the refractories employed in the heater illustrated in Fig. 5.

Referring more inV detail tothe drawings:

. I designates a heater embodying the features of the present invention'and which includes a substantially cylindrical sh'eet metal casing or body2 having a bottom 3 supported from the floor by legs l. The top of the casing is enclosed by a dome 5 having an annular flange 6 encircling a shoulder Ito receive the upper edge of the casing 2 on which it is supported. The dome i lalso has an inwardly converging perimetrical wall portion equipped with a lateral flue outlet connection 8 atone side and a fuel inlet opening 9 at the other. 'I'he inlet opening 9 is disposed in an I inclined plane and .is normally closed by a door I0. Supported within the interior of the casing 2,

and spaced above the`bottom-3 to form an ash- Other objects of the invention are to provide a n ue structure that effects more efficient combustion. of the gases through contact of the flames with highly heated refractory surfaces; to provide a free outlet and distribution of the evolved gases into the ues; to provide a simple and less expensive construction that may be manufactured at lower cost; and to provide a heater of the above character with refractories that are readily manufactured, and when assembled in the casing form the gasilues and protect the casing from direct conta'ct of the flames resulting from the gases burning therein.

vIt is a furtherA object t0' provide a structure adapted to both round and squaretypes of pit Il, is a circular ring I2, having a depending annular flange I3 secured to the inner face of the casing. The ring I2 is of sulcient width to form an annular ledge I4 for supporting refractories within the heater casing as later described. The inner edge of the ring is offset downwardly as indicated at I5 to form an annular shoulder I6 to seat a grate I1. The inner marginal edge of the ring which encircles the grate isprovided with notch-like openings I8 through which combustion supporting air passes from the ash-pit II upwardly through the fuel contained in the fuel magazine of the heater, as later described. -The grate I1 also has air inlet openings I9. rThe grate may be provided with a central opening 20 closed by a shaker plate 2| slidably supported under the grate on guides 22. The shaker plate is manipulated by means of an arm 23 that projects in convenient reach of an operator when the door 24 of the ash-pit is opened. The door 24 is of ordinary construction and is provided with an air` inlet opening controlled by a damper 25 as in usual heater practice.

Supported upon the ledge I4, preferably at opposits sides of the casing, is a plurality of tiered v hollow refractory blocks 26, one of which is best illustrated in Fig. 4. As will be noted in Fig. 4,

Asurfaces 35 and 36 of the end walls 30 and 3l.

The upper and lower edge faces 31 and 3B of the refractories are preferably fiat so that when the refractories are tiered to form a iiue they closely engage and prevent leakage of gases through the joints thereof.

In order to provide gas inlets from the magafr cmry with notch-like grooves 4|' located vertically atlthe mid portions thereof. To assure a clean break squarely through the refractories,

smaller notches 4l" may be formed across the edges of the walls, as shown in Fig. 4.

In operation, a fire is kindled upon the grate and the magazine is chargedwith fuel through the opening 8, substantially to the top of the re fractories, Upon starting of the flre, draft is effected through the draft opening of the ash-pit, through the openings in the grate, and through the spaces between the fuel to the nue connection 3. A portion of the air is also drawn' through the slot-like openings between the refractories Awhich portion moves upwardly through Ithe fiues and is discharged through the flue connection along with the air drawn through the body of the fuel. The re burns from the bottom, cokin-g the upper fuel and driving olf gases, which are drawn through the slot-like openings into I the flues and are combusted'with the aid of air zine of'the heater into the respective ues, the

front wall at the upper edge of each refractory is provided with an elongated notch 39 having inclined bottoms Ml extending transversely across the Wall anclsloping upwardly in the direction of the iiues. The lower edges have somewhat similar notches 39 having top faces 40 sloping from the lower Vfront edge upwardly in substan tially parallel relation with the bottoms 48 of the upper notches, so that when the refractories are placed in position one on the other the notch i in the lower face of an upper refractory cooperates with the notch in the top of a lower refractory to form a series of nozzle-like openings for discharge of gases evolved within the fuel magazine into the flues and in impingement with the inner faces of the outer Walls at points above the joints between the blocks.

Interposed between the yiiue forming refractories are substantially arcuate-shaped refracto-v riesll and 42 which cooperate with the arcuate wall portions 21 of the flue refractories to line the heater casing completely and. protect it from direct contact by flames resulting from combustion of fuel.

The sides 43 and 44 of the arcuate refractories conform to the angle of the end Walls 30 and 3l so that they abut thereagainst and provide substantially gas-tight joints therebetween and form an interlock with the flue refractories.

to retain the refractories in position and in close contact with the inner surface of the heater casing. A sucient number of refractories is superimposed upon each other to extendto the upper rim of the casing as shown in Figs. l and 2, but the refractories terminate short of the dome 5 to provide outlets 45 and 4B for the respective flues into the dome 5 for discharge of spent products of combustion by way of the lflue outlet connection 8. With this arrangement the casing is lined completely with refractory material and a rela- .tively large magazine is provided so that a sizeproviding the front and rear walls 'of each removing therethrough so that flames play on the inner surfaces of the flues and the heat thereof Ais transmitted substantially uniform throughout the relatively large bodies of the refractories to the casing to heat the air surrounding the perlphery of the heater.

The wall portions 21 of the flue forming refractories are of suiiicient thickness to protect the metal'of the casingand present excessively heated areas. The outer surface of the heater is, therefore, maintained at a lower and substantially uniform temperature so that it has longer life and the exterior thereof' may be covered with porcelain or otherwise finished to improve vthe appearance.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 is similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, however, it is carried out in a square type of heater, that is, the casing 48 is of rectangular cross-section and the flue refractories 49 are disposed in the corners thereof and spaced apart by slab-like refractories 50. The corner refractories have substantially angle-shaped outer walls 5l and biasly arranged inner walls 52 connected ,to the terminal ends of the outer walls 53 and 54 preferably having flat faces abutting the side edges of the refractories 50. The'walls 52 have the horizontal front edges thereof provided with notches 55 similar to the notches 39 in the refractories previously described. l

The operation of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 is substantially that above described with the Aexception that. the evolved gases .are discharged through the notch-like openings er with the added advantage of ,better and more efficient combustion, more uniform heat distribution', and longer life.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent is: A

1. In a heater of the character described, a

refractory iiue comprising hollow refractory,

blocks arranged in a tier, each block having in'ner and outer wall portions spaced from each other by integral side wall portions and positioned in the tier with the ends of the blocks in abutment, said inner wall of the blocks having an elongated horizontally arranged notch-like opening in an edge extending transversely of the ilue and having an upwardly .inclined horizontal portion cooperating with a like portion on the adjacent edge of an adjacent block in the tier to form an upwardly and inwardly directed gas inlet whereby' flames resulting from combustion of gas passing through the inlets are guided into impingement with the outer refractory walls at a point above joints between abutting ends of` the outer walls.

2. A heater including a casing having a vertical wall through which heatis transmitted, hol- `low refractory blocks arranged in tiers with the tiers of blocks spaced apart within the wall of the casing, each block having inner and outer wall portions spaced from each other by integral side wall portions, said outerv wall portions of the refractory blocks being arranged in substantial contact with the wall of the casing and with the ends of the outer and side wall portions of the blocks resting one upon the other to provide vertical flues having refractory surfaces on all sides thereof for aiding in burning gases in said flues to heat the-wall of the casing, said inner walls of the blocks havingv elongated notches in horizontal edges thereof extending substantially across the width of said iiues and having horizontal portions cooperating with inclined edge portions extending upwardly from the lower edge of the adjacent block in the tier to direct the burning gases into impingement with'the outer walls of the blocks at a point above the joint between-said outer `walls ofthe blocks, and slabthe casing, each block having inner and outer wall portions spaced from each other by integral side wall portions, said outer wall portions of the refractory blocks being arranged in contact with the wall of the casing and with the ends of the outer and side wall portions of the blocks resting one upon the other to provide vertical flues having refractory surfaces on all sides thereof for aiding in burning of said gases in said dues to heat the wall of the casing, said inner walls of the blocks having elongated notches in horizontal edges thereof extending substantially across the width of said flues and having horizontal portions cooperating with inclined edge portions extending upwardly from the lower edges of the adjacent blocks in the direction of the flue todirect the burning gases out of contact with the joint between said outer walls of the blocks, and slab-like refractories substantially conforming in shape to the wall of the casing intermediate said tiered blocks and having side edges closely abutting the side walls of said tiered blocks to cooperate with'the tiered blocks in forming a refractory lining for the -wall of the casing and a fuel-containing magazine for the heater, said slab-like refractories having less thickness than the inner to outer depth of the tiered blocks so that the inner faces of the inner walls of the blocks are out of plane with the 4inner surfaces of the sla -like refractoriesto facilitate entrance into the iiues of gases which are evolved in the magazine.

4. In a heater including front, rear, and side walls forming a casing of substantially rectangular cross section and through which heat is transmitted, hollow refractory blocks arranged in tiers in comers of the casing and having angular outer wall portions in substantial contact with the corners of the casingand having diagonal inner wall portions connected with the outer wall portions by side wall portions, said outer and side wall portions of the blocks resting one upon another to provide vertical flues having refractory surfaces on all sides thereof for aiding in burning of gases in said flues to heat corner portions of lthe casing, said diagonal innerwalls of the blocks having elongated notches in horizontal edges thereof extending substantially across `the width of said ues and having lower edges upwardly inclined in the direction of the iiues and cooperating with said notches of the next adjacent block to provide passageways into said flues for directing flames in impingement on the outer walls of the blocks at points above the joint between said outer walls.

5. In a heater of the character described, a.

hollow refractory block having inner and outer walls connected by side walls,` said front wall having horizontal notches in the upper and lower edges with the lower of said notches having an inclined defiecting surfaceextending upwardly from the front lower edge and terminating at the inner surface of the inner wall above the corresponding edge of the outer wall.

EDWIN ESSON. 

